The
State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life and
the Maryland Health Care Commission have issued a joint report
on pediatric palliative care. The report, “Study
of Health Care Services for Children with Life-Threatening Conditions,” discuses
the needs of these children, the current situation in Maryland,
projects on pediatric palliative care in other states, and policy
options.

The
Council has commented on an informed consent document, used by
an out-patient endoscopy center, that addressed the facility's
refusal to honor advance directives. The Council's letter is available
here, and the center's
praiseworthy response is here.

The
Council
issued a report on the potential creation of a Maryland advance
directive registry. The report is available here.

At
the December 2007 meeting of the State Advisory Council on Quality
Care at the End of Life, Professor Gloria Ramsey, of the Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences, gave an excellent
presentation on end-of-life care issues affecting racially and
ethnically diverse populations. Professor Ramsey's slides are
in two parts; part
1 is here, and part
2 here.